From Booklist
Where else but in a garden could one find a tender rose flourishing next to a tough cactus, a rustic arbor framing a delicate vine? Slung acknowledges such satisfying serendipity in her equally enchanting anthology of garden-related short fiction, a lush compilation of stories that celebrates the garden's role in inspiring love, fueling desire, soothing pain, assuaging grief. Few collections could support both a Garrison Keillor and a Stephen King, but Slung arranges her entries as carefully as the most discerning landscape designer. "The Flower Garden," David Guterson's sensitive tribute to lost love, is artfully balanced by "See No Weevil," James Thurber's whimsical reflection on botanical nomenclature. Lisa St. Aubin de Teran conjures a unique form of pest control, while the inimitable Saki amuses with his inspired answer to every gardener's prayers. From the perfection of J. G. Ballard's "The Garden of Time" to the poignance of Anne Rosner's "Prize Tomatoes," Slung winsomely celebrates the creative muses of gardeners and writers alike. Carol Haggas
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Book Description
With selections grown from the fertile imaginations of the twentieth century’s most remarkable authors, editor and writer Michele Slung has assembled an enchanting and evocative anthology—the word itself comes from the Greek terms for "flower" and "to gather"—of short stories about gardens and all that grow in them. The gardeners here are young and old, male and female, and the gardens themselves are a delightful mix of the formal and the wild. The twenty-four stories in The Garden of Reading comprise a diverse and unexpected collection but one that stays true to its central and harmonious theme. Included are Colette’s sensuous "Grape Harvest," David Guterson’s poignant "The Flower Garden," Stephen King’s sinister "The Lawnmower Man," J. G. Ballard’s lovely and otherworldy "The Garden of Time," the ominous "Green Thoughts" by John Collier, Rosamunde Pilcher’s touching and simply titled "The Tree," and the splendid "The Fig Tree," by V. S. Pritchett—as well as classics from such masters as Saki, Robert Graves, and Eudora Welty, and contemporary writing from the likes of Sandra Cisneros and Garrison Keillor. If you’ve ever nurtured a flower, a tomato plant, or a gleam of imagination, there’s something in The Garden of Reading that is sure to delight.

About the Author
Michele Slung’s books include Momilies: As My Mother Used to Say and More Momilies, and the anthologies Crime on Her Mind: Fifteen Stories of Female Sleuths from the Victorian Era to the Forties; Murder & Other Acts of Literature; Stranger: Dark Tales of Eerie Encounters; Living with Cannibals and Other Women’s Adventures; and Slow Hand: Women Writing Erotica.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

With selections grown from the fertile imaginations of the twentieth century's most remarkable authors, editor and writer Michele Slung has assembled an enchanting and evocative anthology—the word itself comes from the Greek terms for ￯﾿ﾽflower￯﾿ﾽ and ￯﾿ﾽto gather￯﾿ﾽ—of short stories about gardens and all that grow in them.

The gardeners here are young and old, male and female, and the gardens themselves are a delightful mix of the formal and the wild. The twenty-four stories in The Garden of Reading comprise a diverse and unexpected collection but one that stays true to its central and harmonious theme. Included are Colette's sensuous ￯﾿ﾽGrape Harvest,￯﾿ﾽ David Guterson's poignant ￯﾿ﾽThe Flower Garden,￯﾿ﾽ Stephen King's sinister ￯﾿ﾽThe Lawnmower Man,￯﾿ﾽ J. G. Ballard's lovely and otherworldy ￯﾿ﾽThe Garden of Time,￯﾿ﾽ the ominous ￯﾿ﾽGreen Thoughts￯﾿ﾽ by John Collier, Rosamunde Pilcher's touching and simply titled ￯﾿ﾽThe Tree,￯﾿ﾽ and the splendid ￯﾿ﾽThe Fig Tree,￯﾿ﾽ by V. S. Pritchett—as well as classics from such masters as Saki, Robert Graves, and Eudora Welty, and contemporary writing from the likes of Sandra Cisneros and Garrison Keillor.

If you've ever nurtured a flower, a tomato plant, or a gleam of imagination, there's something in The Garden of Reading that is sure to delight.